Modern-day blue-bloods of college basketball:
Duke. Kentucky. North Carolina. Kansas. Connecticut.
The Huskies’ national championship win over San Diego State on Monday night sealed UConn on an elite company alongside the icons of the sport. The irony for folks who chose to read this?
Arkansas has met every single one of them and matched them almost step for step during that stretch at the top.
Connecticut beat Arkansas in the Sweet 16 this year. Arkansas beat Kansas in the Round of 32. Last year, Arkansas fell to Duke in the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels eliminated Arkansas from the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2015 and 2017. Then, of course, there’s Hogs-vs-Cats every year in the SEC.
Four of those five of college basketball’s elite – and Arkansas – were, again, ranked on Tuesday when the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll was dropped. Take a look below, because it almost certainly won’t be the same, or perhaps even close to it in six months before the 2023-24 season.